While not all nonprofit organizations were affected by the government shutdown, some were greatly affected. Because the government is a source for funding and knowledge for many nonprofits, some charitable organizations were struggling from missing out on both.  This may not seem like a huge deal to you, but when you think about a nonprofit being funded, you have to think about their mission.  For example, if soup kitchens are not being funded, they can’t afford to make the food or give shelter to the people who need their help the most.  The government being shutdown extremely and negatively impacts more people than you would think.

The idea of this knowledgeable resources being cut from programs was a scary thing to think about, even for the nonprofits that had not been affected yet.  Everyone’s job was a stake and so was their organizations mission.  What a terrifying thought.

Fortunately, this is no longer a problem and after the longest 16 days ever, the government finally reopened.   I’m sure tons of people are breathing sighs of relief today.   Although the government has reopened, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a few after-effects from the time it was shut down.    Hopefully the nonprofits that did lose money and resources will start getting that back promptly. 

Was your nonprofit or a nonprofit you volunteer for affected by the shutdown?  If so, in what way?